I am closing in on the finish to a life transition, which will motivate the creation of various Posts for my own documentation, some of which that may be interesting to my Blog audience. Divorce was the driving force behind this transition, but I will try to avoid that story. I will eventually return to my traditional posts on backpacking although the treks may not be aggressive because of these life changes and my age. I am now married to my High School sweetheart, which will be one of the posts coming to this Blog. Another post will be about leaving my dream house in Oregon only to build a more perfect dream house in Colorado. Also, my next post will be about my time over this last year in Indiana with highlights of reconnecting with old friends and validation for why I could never live in the midwest again.

Marrying my High School Sweetheart

Divorce was inevitable; however, family commitments and financial concerns prolonged the actual event. A key event in this transition occurred on December 14, 2021 when my high school sweetheart, AKA Pam Stivers, commented on a Facebook post I created on our High School Class Reunion page.

Pam and I had no interaction for 40 years when we started talking which progressed to starting a new life together.

It is a good Love Story. We were married on June 2, 2023 in Steamboat Springs, CO.

Dream House to Dream House

The story about moving to Oregon and finding my dream home is worthy of a post. That house, along with the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, was extremely important for my mental state. Adding the condo in Neskowin totally enhanced the dream.

The Grand Valley of western Colorado captured my heart when I worked in the Oil Shale industry in the early 80s. So when it was apparent I would be finding a new life to live with Pam, Grand Junction needed to be investigated. I took Pam on a 5-week tour of my western life that confirmed for us that the Grand Valley was to be our home. Halfway between our families, with still affordable housing and access to wilderness that fuels my soul, it was the answer. The dream home that we will soon begin construction on has been the ultimate test of my patience. This post will come later when we are sitting on the back patio looking out over the Grand Valley. You can follow Construction progress at Colorado Home

Back Home Again in Indiana

After my divorce and reconnecting with Pam, moving back to Indiana for a year of transition was just what I needed. I lived with my sister initially who had moved back to Indiana from Los Angeles about 6 years ago. Pam & I rented a 2 Bdrm apartment in Noblesville which provided a home base for all of the changes that needed to be processed. Starting out this way would have been similar to how we might have started out in the 70’s if we had stayed together.

Reconnecting with high school classmates was a tremendous gift. I hiked all of the good State Parks and played a lot of golf. However, the most important gift was finding a church where Pam & I got to experience the love of Christian fellowship at Grace Church. And of course access to Pork Tenderloins, Skyline Chili, and Indiana Hoosiers Basketball really helped make life tolerable. However, there are a few reasons why living in Indiana is less than desirable; such as humidity and the worst roads I have ever experienced. We will be moving to Grand Junction, CO next week.

I have had a blessed life that I know has been influenced by my personal friend, Jesus Christ. His support was the only way that I could have survived this transition. I do feel that His many lessons of grace, love and patience has made me a better man. The Adventure Continues